Sunday, 28 February 2010

short analysis.

The trailer begins with a voice over before the action begins on screen. There is a slight delay, as on screen we see a long shot of Tyler and Megan's wedding. The voice over then clearly states that she began from the wrong point of the story and rewinds the footage on-screen.
A diagetic bell, although added during editing it comes through the narrative, cuts off the female voice and introduces the audience to a normal school day. We see Tyler and Charli, hand in hand, walking into the classroom. A match on action is used with the over-the-shoulder shot of Tyler and Charli entering, as they walk past Megan who is seated.
We then cut to a mid-shot of Megan arriving at Charli's house for prom. Outside this house, we cut to seeing Megan say on the kerb, looking at her watch as a car's reverse lights ignite and move from the back of the shot to the foreground. Music then accompanys the footage in the text.
We cut to Megan talking to a stuffed cat about her problems, as she imagines that it has had an accident on her shoe. The atmosphere is dark, suggesting night time and a dark event to come. Her diagetic voice clearly says that nothing ever changes.
We cut to Charli reaching for the cat in the tree, and falling on the floor. A shot of the sky and streetlights, twirling around is shown to immediately tell the audience that she has fallen out of the tree. The music is cut as screams take its place. They echo and a mean laughter is heard.
A scene in the hospital, with
dreary mise-en-scene as they're waiting for the news. This makes the audience feel uncomfortable in the place, and expect the worst. As the doctor approaches an over-the-shoulder, shot-reverse-shot conversation between the doctor and Tyler begins, about the death of Charli.
The two characters left, Megan and Tyler, comfort each other in a two shot where Megan moves in to kiss him. We jump to a parallel scene of later that night where she is using the exact same move. The audience clearly know he didnt refuse at the hospital otherwise they wouldn't have ended up in her room together. Tyler rises this time, from the two shot on the bed, and moves towards the door. We cut time out here as he is leaving in the morning. We know there is a time change because the mise-en-scene is lighter, suggesting sunlight filtering in through the window. A shot-reverse-shot is used for the coming conversation between Tyler and Megan.
Tyler leaves the room and an establishing shot of the church is shown, with text stating that we're taking 3 years out of the story and skipping to the future.
The long-shot that we saw at the beginning of the trailer returns and the story continues from where Sarah left off with the voice-over before. There is no music since the death of Charli, and her return evokes the return of music also. As she pops out from behind the vicar, we get a lively, upbeat tune occuring.
As Megan steps back from the vicar, the audience are left to guess that she doesnt marry Tyler at that point in the movie. Tyler then throws a 'hissy' fit and requests confetti being thrown on him. The voice is in slow motion, and is deeper than usual for comedic effect. The mid-two shot of Tyler and Sarah allows us to mostly see him, and the confetti being pushed his way. The music fits with his 'huff' and creates a laughable moment for the audience.
The text then cuts to footage that is white tinted, suggesting an eerie atmosphere. This is used to show that Charli is a ghost and it is easy to distinguish the difference between her when shes alive and dead. The white effect connotes imagination, similar to effects in some movies when the screen waves from side to side to suggest daydreaming/dreaming/imagining. The music which is accompanying the '3 years later' part of the trailer is very unrealistic and suggests, to me personally, the idea of a gameshow or fun.
After the fight between Megan and Charli, we fade to Tyler being dressed up. The mid shot of him getting dressed misses off his head, suggesting that he's embarrassed. This shot could also be a POV shot from Charli's point of view, as she watches to make sure he puts on the dress which she's forced upon him. This then cuts to a long-shot of Tyler lay on the bed with Charli in the background, giggling. He has clearly been forced to spend time in a dress. Megan walks in, and looks twice at the sight she is faced with while laughing silently to herself.
We then cut to a cuddling session on the sofa, between Tyler and Megan. A long shot of Charli, as she walks in, is shown and we flick back to the cuddles on the sofa. Tyler moves from Megan and we return to Charli, who has walked out of the room and returned with crisps. This connotes the awkwardness of having a ghost around.
We then, finally, fade to a black screen where the title is revealed. The voice over takes over, declaring that the only way to find out what happens is to visit the cinema in the summer, 2010.

california sunshine and tennessee rain, i'm an east coast kid with a west coast way. i don't mind the weather, but i hate the way it has to change...

Friday, 22 January 2010

editing process.

In the ICT Suite we began our editing process. We copied all the files to the 'L' drive on the school computer, and were finally getting somewhere with editing.
We cut the clips, and gave them some sort of order, this also included adding some fades. Elizabeth had researched the music in romance comedies and had returned with a few possible tracks/sound effects. We used the track she found as it fitted well with the story, trailer and genre. This was laid over the top of the clips in school, at the party, the death and in the hospital. It will possibly be repeated throughout the trailer, and used as the main soundtrack. The party noise was added also, on top of the party scenes, obviously. This was various chatter, and a scream, cleverly, added as Charli dies.
We watched it back multiple times, and were happy with the results we gained today.

three whole words, and eight letters late, that would have worked on me yesterday. we're not the same, i wish that could change but it can't.

Wednesday, 20 January 2010

editing process.

Due to technical errors we had to move our film from the IT suite to A15, our old media room. The rest of our class are still in IT, but we have had difficulty every step of the way, and are just going to have to edit in our own time.
We recently found out that the sound didnt work, and we need to dub it. We don't have time to refilm, as our deadline is in a week, or so, and find that this is the only way to fix this problem.


i'm a little bit lost without you, and i'm a big mess inside.

Wednesday, 16 December 2009

editing process.

We captured the footage on Adobe Premiere Elements, and I managed to get the scenes, that we've filmed, in order. I cut down the shot of Charli on the floor and, afterwards, Elizabeth began editing the bedroom scene where Megan and Tyler are talking after the death of Charli.
Matt and I looked for music on freeplaymusic.com, and he came up with a couple of options, whereas I was unsuccessful. We were looking for romantic music, but fast tempo-ed because of the genre we are producing.


somehow you have managed to get under my skin more than anyone ever did.

Friday, 11 December 2009

shooting.

Thursday 3rd December.
We started shooting at Hayley's house, on Redcliffe Street, where we filmed the scene where Megan is outside of Tyler's house. This was filmed by a mid shot, from the side of her and then an over-the-shoulder as she is pulled in. He drags her inside the house, and she is then faced with Megan & Tyler. We filmed the interior scene at a different location, because the other house had a better suited entrance to the house.
We then filmed the scene where Megan is sat on the courseway outside Tyler's house, waiting for Charli and Tyler to reverse in the car to pick her up. The shot we used was a long shot, as the car reverses. This scene, we later found out in editing, was distorted due to the lack of light. This is down to the lack of sophisticated camera's we have the chance to use.
After changing location, now in Selston, we began shooting more scenes inside Wesley's house. We shot the scene after Megan has been dragged in, and the camera had a high amount of red to the shot, so it is possibly ruined and needs to be refilmed. It was a simple mid-shot, and contained all 3 main characters.
Filmed next was Charli on the floor, after falling from the tree and ending up dead. This was a short scene, filmed with a close up shot, which zooms out. We went straight onto Megan and Tyler consoling each other, next, over the death of their friend. Tyler then leaves in the morning and, seeing as these shots are shot in the same area of the house, it made sense to film them all at once. A variety of shots were filmed, to give us the choice in editing. We had a mid shot from the left, and another from the right.
Tyler is then in a dress, and this takes place in the bedroom also, when Megan walks in to find him. These shots were filmed within seconds of each other, for simplicity. A mid shot was used to show Tyler on the bed, in a dress, with Charli in the background as a ghost. This shows that she dressed him like that, as she is giggling at the thought of him in a dress.
In the house where we filmed, the sofa we were using was outside the bedroom we just filmed in, so it made sense to film on the sofa next. Megan and Tyler were on the sofa, as Charli walks in as a ghost. This was filmed with a mid-shot of the couple sat on the sofa, then an over-the-shoulder when Charli walks in, to see what she is doing.
Outside was the location for the next scenes, where we see Megan talking to a cat. This cat is a stuffed toy, because we didnt have a cat 'on tap'. A mid shot shows her talking to the cat, and then we decided to shoot the climbing of the tree.
This part was safe, as Charli didn't actually climb the tree. She reaches up to the cat, that was put in the tree, but is planted firmly on the ground. If she actually did climb, it would be a safety issue, and we would be, probably, breaking filming/safety rules.
In our film its only suggestive that Charli falls, so we used the camera and shook it a bit, to show she fell. In editing we will show Charli climbing the tree, and then the 'shaky' shot, and then her on the floor. This will hopefully be evidence enough that she fell, hard, while still not breaking any rules!

Friday 4th December

Today we went to Kingsway Church, in Kirkby, and filmed the wedding scene. This went fine, except the tape had an error. We shot the wedding, and got to filmed the part where Charli appeared, but unfortunately had technical issues, so will be filming it all again at a later date.

i only see my dreams in everything i touch. i feel their cold hands on everything that i love. cold like some magnificent skyline; out of my reach, but always in my eye line.

Saturday, 5 December 2009

shooting schedule.




i'd rather sleep my whole life away than have you keep me from dreaming.

script: final.

The wedding scene fades in TYLER and MEGAN are walking down the aisle. SARAH follows behind.
SARAH V.O
My friends Tyler and Charli were the perfect couple, but their best friend Meg.... WAIT! This isn’t the right part. One second…

(After a moment’s silence, you hear the non diegetic sound of a tape recorder being pressed, and the whole trailer rewinds.)
SARAH V.O
Ah, here we go sorry, I’m new to this! Tyler and Charli are the perfect couple, but their best friend Meg... she doesn’t really get it.

INT. SCHOOL CORRIDOR - DAY.
TYLER and CHARLI are walking through the door into school, the colour is over exaggerated and pronounced to fool the audience into thinking this is a very happy occasion. The camera zooms out and as it does so, the colour fades and we see MEGAN sitting alone.
Fades to MEGAN outside TYLER’s house


EXT. HOUSE - NIGHT.
Megan is practicing his speech.
MEGAN
Jaime, will you come to the prom? Jaime, I love you, will you come to the prom with me? Jaime, I love you more than Brett does, come to the prom with me instead?

The door opens and reveals TYLER and he drags her in through the door


INT. HOUSE - NIGHT.
TYLER
Oh you’re finally here to help! Prom starts in half an hour!
as he’s being dragged in, fast cut to CHARLI and MEGAN are in TYLER’s room
CHARLI
What’re you doing here?

MEGAN looks uneasy and mumbles under his breath
MEGAN
Erm

CHARLI just laughs. Fast cut to...

EXT. PAVEMENT - NIGHT.
MEGAN sitting on the sidewalk looks at her watch, car reverses, and she gets in!

EXT. PARK - NIGHT.
Fade to MEGAN sitting alone on a bench talking to a cat about her problems.
MEGAN
I wish Tyler loved me, y’know like I love him? I’ve been his best friend for so long now and my feelings have changed. (The cat poops on her shoe and she sighs.) Nothing changes really, does it?

Fade to CHARLI climbing the tree to save the cat. Fast cut to CHARLI on the floor with blood surrounding her and people screaming.

INT. HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM.
Jaime and Nathan are sitting in a waiting room and Jaime is crying on Nathan’s shoulder. She looks up and Nathan looks into her eyes, and in a long embrace they look like they’re going to kiss but a doctor appears with the news of Brett’s death.
DOCTOR
I’m very sorry to tell you this.... but Charli’s injuries were severe and she... she die.... (she shakes her head) She passed away. Ahem, sorry this is my first day.

TYLER and MEGAN cry. A lot.

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT.
TYLER and MEGAN are consoling each other on the bed. TYLER sweeps MEGAN’s hair back and wipes away her tear. They kiss.
TYLER
No... Mega..

MEGAN
I’m sorry... I.. I.. love you

Tyler takes a moment of deliberation and they begin kissing again.

INT. BEDROOM - MORNING.
Megan wakes up and sees Tyler leaving.
MEGAN
Tyler? What are you....

TYLER
I can’t do this, I’m sorry... I never should have... I...I

MEGAN
She was going to ask you to move in with her, Tyler. At prom, Tyler, she was going to ask you to move in.

TYLER stumbles back, haphazardly reaches for the door handle and runs out.
THREE YEARS LATER.

V.O TYLER
It’s been three years, Brad. I haven’t been since... she.. passed. Would you come with me?

SARAH
Like, who?!

TYLER sighs.
TYLER
Charli.. You know. My ex nearly housemate, best friend of the girl I slept with the day she died. Ring any bells for you?

SARAH
Oh... Erm yeah totally. Why haven’t you been since?

TYLER
I... don’t like the smell of graveyards.

Whilst this is being said, fade into the graveyard. TYLER and SARAH are walking toward the graves as you see a figure in the distance. TYLER recognises this as MEGAN, SARAH asks if it’s a ghost.
Fade out.

EXT. CHURCH - DAY.
MEGAN and TYLER are getting married.
PRIEST:
Do you, Tyler Gaylord Rodrigo Edwardo Constance Reeves take Megan Louise Harper to be your awful-ahem-lawful wedded wife?

CHARLI appears at the altar, between both of them; MEGAN sees this and looks visibly shaken.
MEGAN
No... I mean... Uh... Yeah... I mean uh

She stumbles back into SARAH.
SARAH
Hey, getoffame! Creep!

He slaps him. MEGAN runs towards CHARLI. TYLER, in a fit of psychotic rage begins to rip up her bouquet and uses it as confetti.
TYLER
I’m married! I’m married damnit. THROW CONFETTI. THROW CONFETTI OVER ME NOW.

SARAH throws confetti at her face. TYLER huffs a piece out of her hair.

V.O SARAH
There... was like totally a girl at the altar between you both... did you... not see her? She wasn’t even colour coordinated, wearing black to a wedding... is she like retarded or something?

V.O TYLER
There was a girl in black? Did she have glasses? Like, slightly wonky.. Looks like she’s had them for years?

V.O SARAH
Yeah, I bet they were from a charity box or something.

While all of this is happening MEGAN is with CHARLI. MEGAN gets really really angry at CHARLI, and begins to fight her. The camera zooms out and MEGAN is fighting thin air, CHARLI is only visible to MEGAN. The priest/doctor is now a passer by. MEGAN raises an eyebrow.
PRIEST/DOCTOR/PASSER-BY
I got fired. A lot.
CUT TO LATER IN SCENE - MEGAN is breathing heavily and she looks up at CHARLI scornfully.

MEGAN
Why are you back? Are you.. er... haunting me? I’ll go to confession, (She begins to shout the priest who passed by earlier) I’ll let go of my sins!!!!!!

CHARLI
Shut up.

MEGAN comes closer to CHARLI.
MEGAN
You stink.. like, actually the definition of stink.

CHARLI
I never got told how to use the shower, all those knobs and buttons. It’s so new age!

INT. HOUSE - NIGHT
TYLER and MEGAN are making out on the sofa, getting funky. CHARLI walks in and MEGAN becomes very uncomfortable.
CHARLI
(Laughing) Sorry.

She winks.
CHARLI reappears with popcorn and beer, MEGAN winces.
CHARLI, MEGAN, SARAH and TYLER are in a cinema, there is an empty space between TYLER and MEGAN, for the ghost CHARLI. TYLER is visibily agitated, he stands up.
TYLER
CHARLI, GET A LIFE... (He realises she is dead) Oh...errr.. STAY OUT OF MINE.


INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT.
Tyler is lying in bed, Megan walks in and sees he is wearing a dress. She opens her eyes wide and in the background we see CHARLI laughing.
V.O SARAH
How is he here? Is he ever going to go? Will Jaime and Nathan ever get married? Well, how the hell should I know? Go to the cinema, Fall 2010..

there is a beautiful ending but you're never gonna read the book. i know you won't.